How Much Does It Cost to Run a Level 2 EV Charger?

A car driving 1,000 miles a month at 3.5 miles per kWh needs about 285 kWh plus 10 to 15 percent charging losses, roughly 320 kWh. That is about $55 at the national average rate, $40 in a 13 cent state and over $100 on a flat rate in California.

A small amount, usually 2 to 10 W for the controller and Wi-Fi, which is under 1 kWh a week. Smart chargers with a display use a little more. It is not worth switching the breaker off.

No. Per kWh delivered it is slightly more expensive, because the car's electronics run five times longer for the same charge and losses are higher. Level 1 is fine for short daily drives but not a way to save money.

In theory, but a 13 kWh home battery would be drained by one full session, and most backup systems are set up to keep the house running, not the car. See the home battery backup sizer for what a battery can realistically carry.

A 40 A Level 2 charger on a 240 V circuit draws about 9,600 W (40 A x 240 V) while the car is charging. Because EV charging counts as a continuous load, the National Electrical Code requires the circuit to be sized at 125 percent of the charging current, so a 40 A charger goes on a 50 A breaker. Chargers set to 32 A or 48 A draw about 7,700 W or 11,500 W.

About $1.66 an hour at full rate. The charger delivers 9.6 kWh each hour, and 9.6 kWh x $0.173 is $1.66 at the national average rate. At this page's 2 hours a day that is 19.2 kWh, about $3.32 a day or $100 a month.

Yes, it is usually the largest single load in a home that has one. This page's 2 hours a day at 9,600 W is 19.2 kWh a day, about 576 kWh a month, which is roughly two thirds of what an average U.S. home uses in a month according to EIA. A driver doing 30 miles a day needs closer to 10 kWh a day.

At home, by about half or more. At 3.5 miles per kWh and the 17.3 cent national rate, an EV costs about 5 cents a mile, so 1,000 miles is about $55 with charging losses. A 30 mpg car at $3.50 a gallon needs 33 gallons for the same miles, about $117.

Only a large one. The charger needs about 9,600 W of continuous 240 V power at its full 40 A setting, which is beyond most portable generators and power stations. Lowering the charger to 16 A cuts the draw to about 3,840 W, and some cars refuse to charge from a generator with a floating neutral, so check the car and generator manuals first.

Move charging to off-peak hours on a time-of-use or EV rate plan, which can cut the price per kWh in half on many utilities. Schedule the session in the car or charger app, charge to 80 percent for daily driving, and precondition the cabin while still plugged in so the battery is not paying for heat or AC.